Ageless Jackson faces the final hurdle

Colin Jackson looked relaxed and happy as he larked about with an old friend outside the warm-up track at the Olympiastadion in the bright summer sunshine here yesterday morning. He had just started another defence of the European Championships 110 metres hurdles title he has won three consecutive times, finishing the fastest qualifier for today's semi-final with a time of 13.41sec.

It was the typical persona of Jackson that the public have grown used to seeing now for nearly 20 years: happy, laughing, seemingly without a care in the world. Even on the rare occasions he has been beaten a smile never appears to be far from his face.

At a promotion for his shoe sponsor the day before the MC had asked Jackson whether he was ever unhappy. "I'm very moody," he replied to his surprised host. "If things aren't exactly like I want them to be everyone will get a sense of what I'm like."

Mark McKoy, the Canadian who was Jackson's former rival and now best friend, was standing at the back of the room and smiled to himself. He has seen the Welsh dragon spit fire on more than one occasion.

"After all you don't remain among the world's top hurdlers for as long as Colin has without a strong work ethic and a desire to get things just right," said McKoy. "And Colin is a man who likes to get things done."

Two world championship gold medals - the first Briton ever to retain a world title - world record holder indoors and out, Olympic silver medallist, numerous Commonwealth and European medals: Jackson's roll of honour is longer than some short stories.

At 35 Jackson has already won more medals than any other athlete in British history, reward for the years of training on freezing winter mornings. The fact that he is still competing at an age when his original contemporaries have swapped spikes for media jobs is testament to that competitive streak.

The public and media, as they have with another grandee, the triple jumper Jonathan Edwards, have taken Jackson's excellence for granted for far too long. But everyone had better savour his appearance today because these championships represent his last appearance at this level before he retires.

He hopes to pull down the curtain for the final time at the world indoor championships in Birmingham in March but this is the last occasion he will run 110m hurdles on a stage this big. It would be a fitting way for him to bow out, with a fourth consecutive title, particularly after his surprise defeat in the Commonwealth Games in Manchester when he finished second.

It is a bonus even to see him here. After watching his last realistic hope of Olympic gold disappear in Sydney two years ago few would have been surprised to see Jackson gradually fade from the scene and let the new young generation of British sprinters hog the limelight.

Jackson did briefly move into the shadows, claiming he was happy to compete solely on the grand prix circuit. But he came back at the European indoor championships in March where, as the oldest member of the British team, Jackson sprinted to the 60m hurdles title watched by several team members who were not even born when he was first making a name for himself in athletics.

Olympic gold is the only major honour to have eluded Jackson and Athens in 2004 would surely be a fitting place to end a career that was sparked into life by that victory in the world junior championships in the same Greek city in 1986. "No way," insisted Jackson, who would be 37 by the next Olympics.

Then again few people would have bet their life savings on seeing him battling it out on the European circuit and in three major championships this season.

"I haven't told him this to his face but Colin is a Peter Pan character," said Malcolm Arnold, Jackson's coach since he was a schoolboy. "Age seems to mean nothing. When will he stop? Don't ask me because you never know. It is remarkable that he has gone on for so long at this level because what people forget is that he started when he was 16, 17.

"Athletes such as Linford Christie began when they were in their 20s but Colin was much younger and he is still going strong at such a high level against guys much younger than him."

So what is the secret to such longevity? There is none, according to Arnold. "He has never been afraid of hard work. He has a fantastic perspective of the sport, he handles himself so well he never lets himself down with his preparation.

"You could leave some athletes a training programme while you go away on holiday for two weeks and know they wouldn't stick to it. With Colin I could go away for three years and I know he would follow it rigidly day by day. That is the essence of his dedication."

Of course, Jackson's dedication was matched with considerable natural talent which has also seen him win titles over 60m flat indoors and turn in some highly respectable 100m relay legs for British teams.

Though an Olympic gold medal is missing from his bulging trophy cabinet - silver in Seoul in 1988 aged 21 represents his best finish - Jackson has nothing to prove to anyone, including himself.

It was McKoy who deprived Jackson of the biggest prize when he won in Barcelona while his friend and training partner was the overwhelming favourite but ended up seventh.

"We've talked about it many times," said McKoy. "We were preparing to get one-two in Barcelona. In training I couldn't beat him so I wasn't expecting to win. But Colin didn't stick to his end of the bargain."

Failure to win Olympic gold is a source of far greater irritation to Jackson than he admits in public, claimed McKoy. "As an athlete it was his main goal," he said. "He's won everything else and set a world record but I know he would like to have an Olympic gold medal in his pocket. It's a travesty he's never won it because he is the greatest hurdler who ever lived."

Ups and downs of the champion hurdler

1986 Wins world junior 110m hurdles title in Athens. Takes Commonwealth Games silver in Edinburgh.

1987 Takes bronze in 110m hurdles at world championships in Rome.

1988 Wins Olympic silver medal in Seoul.

1990 Completes Commonwealth and European 110m hurdles double.

1992 Fails in Olympic final in Barcelona, finishing seventh.

1993 Wins world championship gold and sets current world record of 12.91sec. Voted IAAF world athlete of the year.

1994 Wins European and Commonwealth 110m hurdles titles.

1996 Fails again to land Olympic title, finishing fourth in Atlanta.

1998 Wins third European Championship.

1999 Completes world indoor and outdoor double.

2000 Olympic dream fades when finishing fifth in Sydney.

2001 Announces retirement from international championships.

2002 Rescinds decision and wins European indoor title. Finishes second in Commonwealth Games.